The Democratic Party leadership in Parliament has presented to the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga a request for a good and fair share of the Shs 2bn annually given to the office of the leader of opposition.
Led by their Whip Joseph Ssewungu Gonzaga, the DP Members of Parliament said the Forum for Democratic Change has always sidelined other opposition parties in spending the money.
DP now wants the money to be mathematically calculated basing on the numerical strength of each party but not the current political determinant of the winner takes it all.
ChimpReports interviewed the Nakaseke South MP, Paul Ssemakula who was also part of the DP delegation that went to the Speaker’s chambers on Monday.
He said DP and the Uganda People’s Congress deserve better in terms of sharing the resources from Parliament
“The FDC is unfair to us and our colleagues from the UPC. We have made our presentation to the Right Honorable Speaker clearly stating our demands for a fair share of the office of the Leader of Opposition’s money,” Hon. Ssemakula said.
Until recently when the Electoral Commission started giving money to political parties, they were only getting financial benefits from Parliament.
“We should sit together (DP, FDC and UPC) and get the calculator to sort ourselves out but not leaving the whole money to one party,” he stressed.
The DP has 14 MPs in the 10th Parliament compared to 10 in the 9th Parliament while the FDC has 36 members from 34 in previous one.
The UPC is now the smallest political party in Parliament in terms of numbers with only 6 members from 11 in the previous one.
In their presentation to the Speaker, the DP also complained of the control of 4 accountability committees in Parliament that is also in the hands of only FDC.
DP MPs now want FDC to retain only two committees and the remaining two surrendered to them and the UPC.
“The four Committees for the opposition are only under FDC. The DP and the UPC should also be given one committee each and the FDC remains with two,” part of the presentation reads.
The 4 committees are the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the Government Assurance Committee, Local Government Accounts Committee and the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authority and Enterprises (COSASE).
In the 9th Parliament PAC was chaired by Alice Alaso, Government Assurance by Kassiano Wadri, COSASE by Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda and Local Government Accounts Committees was steered by Jack Sabiti – all FDC members.
DP also said in the Shadow Cabinet they always get very few appointments as the FDC unfairly takes the majority.
FDC Speak out
ChimpReports contacted the FDC Spokesman Ssemujju Nganda who is also now the Opposition Chief Whip.
In his response, Ssemujju said his party doesn’t decide on its own wishes but it’s the law that dictates.
“All the arguments fronted by DP are already answered by the Administration of Parliament’s Act. We (FDC) don’t wish to take everything but it is the law that streamlines things at Parliament,” Ssemujju said.
The Administration of Parliament’s Act gives all the powers to the LoP who is appointed by the opposition party president with biggest numbers in Parliament.
According to Ssemujju it was a blunder for the DP to go the Speaker since she has no control in the affairs of the opposition.
He stated that DP members are also being unfair to FDC because his party has always tried to share with the rest of the opposition parties like in 8th Parliament when UPC MP, John Odit (RIP) was made the chairman of COSASE.
He continued that the FDC was also generous even to the Independents when Rebecca Otengo was appointed the Deputy Chairperson of PAC in the 8th Parliament and all opposition parties have been featuring in the Shadow Cabinet.
Ssemujju also stated that FDC looks at Parliament as a front but not as a place for some small financial benefits.
He revealed that the FDC party leader Gen. Mugisha Muntu has already held a meeting with the DP Whip on how to collectively face the ruling National Resistance Movement party.